This is War
by RzPz922
Summary: A war has broken out across all of Equestria. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance have long since been killed, leaving Twilight Sparkle the lone princess of the lands. Hope is almost lost, but there is one last option. One pony who has not been seen or spoken to in years. Rating for war violence.
1. Twilight Sparkle

_/Hello once again, FanFiction community! Welcome to my second story! This is going to be another depressing story because making people sad is all I'm good for./_

* * *

I wake every morning to ponies screaming. Explosions. Blood spattering against my window. I can't leave the castle without somepony trying to blow me or the girls to bits. In fact, since the other princesses were killed, I haven't been able to leave the castle at all. I need to stay hidden, or I will die, as well. Anarchy has taken over Equestria. Fear has consumed Ponyville. Few stay hidden, like us. All the rest fight and kill. Every time I look outside somepony else has died. Every time, the number of soldiers fighting has diminished. Cannons sound, bursting my eardrums. Blood trickles down the streets. I've tried everything I can. Nopony will listen to reason, my magic has no effect on the violence and bloodthirst that has overtaken the city.

Nothing works. There is but one other option, but without her it is ineffective. Our only choice is to try and find her, but we cannot leave the city, let alone the castle, without someone trying to kill us. What good would it do, anyway? None of us have even spoken to her in over two years. I doubt she would want to come back to us. Her seat in our Friendship Council has been empty for so long we've gotten used to her not being there. But it _is_ the fate of Equestria we're talking about here. It has to be worth a shot.

"Girls, we have only one option left." I speak the words I've dreaded for so long. "We have to find Rainbow Dash."

High sobs erupt from Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash leaving us has always been a sensitive subject. We try not to bring it up, especially not around poor Fluttershy, since her absence has affected her the most. The already-quiet pegasus hasn't spoken a word in years. Everything reminds her of Rainbow. I've had to place a tarp around Rainbow's old seat so Fluttershy doesn't have to look at it.

Rarity flinches at the mere mention of Rainbow's name. She has been afraid of the inevitable this whole time. She's known that one day we will need Rainbow back, and she's been terrified of the prospect of speaking to her, seeing as it was her words that drove the pegasus to leave us in the first place. Rarity is terrified of what Rainbow will say when we speak to her, terrified of what she will do.

Applejack shuts her eyes tightly as tears fall freely. She has always been a silent crier. She bites her lip hard, kicking back and knocking over her chair. I know Applejack can't hear anything about Rainbow Dash without needing to kick something. Her emotions overwhelm intensely and she expresses them in high levels of aggression.

Pinkie Pie, who has long since gone completely numb to her emotions, simply stands up from her seat and trots slowly towards me.

"We've gotten by just fine without Rainbow Dash so far. Why do we need her now?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

I step back. I've never been a fan of being too close to Pinkie when her mane goes flat, as it always means she is either angry or numb. She's been numb for years and I still haven't gotten used to it.

"Pinkamena," I say. She can't stand 'Pinkie' anymore. "we can't hide like this forever. Eventually we'll have to leave the castle to get more rations, and when we do, we are going to be attacked. Unless you would all rather starve to death, the only way to end this war is to unite, and we can't do that without Rainbow Dash."

"How do you expect us to leave? One of us is going to get shot. It's inevitable."

I exhale slowly. I'd been afraid of that question. There are too many corrupt soldiers out there, soldiers who have been tricked into targeting us. Pinkie is right, it's inevitable that one of us will be hit. There are too many of them and too few of us.

"We're going to have to prepare for the worst. If we can get out of Ponyville fast enough, we'll be moving targets. It's harder to fatally injure a moving target. I'm not saying that none of us will be hit. At least one of us will be. What I am saying is that if we move fast enough, we will not be fatally wounded." I explain.

"Twilight, this is a mighty risky plan. Are ya'll sure it's worth it?" Applejack asks, wiping her eyes.

"It's worth a try, Applejack. Are you with me?" Applejack nods. "Girls?"

"I'd give anything to see Rainbow again..." Fluttershy's voice is raw and scratchy.

"Yes, I suppose it's for the best. I will come if I don't have to speak with her." Rarity says.

We all turn to Pinkie expectantly.

"Pinkamena?" I ask.

Pinkie skims over all of us. I stare into her empty, angry, sad, uncaring eyes. _Please, Pinkie, please say you're with us. _

"Fine." Pinkie says finally.


	2. Rarity

_/I have returned once again to bring you chapter two! Nothing to say this time except what I forgot last time. MLP: FiM doesn't belong to me, it's property of Hasbro./_

* * *

I must confess that making amends with Rainbow Dash is the last thing I want to do. Put of all of us, I have to be the one she is the most angry with, and I am completely terrified. Of leaving the castle, of the soldiers outside looking to destroy us. But mostly of her. _For _her. If she is alive, who knows what has happened to her? She could have gone insane! She could be so injured she is incapable of helping us! There is even a large chance that her loyalties have shifted. A chance almost as large as that in which she has already been killed.

But Twilight is right. After all of the Ponyville turning on us, losing my parents, Sweetie Belle escaping town with the little ones to form a traveling survival camp... I would much rather die trying than stay in the shadows and slowly starve to death. This is why I am coming along. I can only hope Twilight's force field scheme will work. She plans to put a joint force field around all five of us so we can escape as safely as possible. Of course, she has warned us that her protective spells are not as strong as her brother's, therefore we must still prepare.

"Okay. Are we all ready?" Twilight asks, giving her saddle bag's straps one last tug.

"Good to go." Applejack nods.

"Yes." Fluttershy whispers.

"I suppose so." I say.

"Let's get out of here..." Pinkamena sighs. I've gotten so used to calling her by her full name that I can't even think of her as 'Pinkie' anymore.

Twilight fires up her horn, conjuring a transparent violet force field. It stretches out to surround us all.

"Get ready to run..." The door flings open. "NOW!"

We take off running as a unit. Shots fire at us from the likes of unicorn soldiers. The shots bounce off the protective shield one by one in a kind of rhythm. Glancing upwards, we can see pegasi above us, dropping heavy objects such as tree branches to try and break through. Earth ponies stand off in the distance with cannons and catapults. The force field could give out at any given time. We have to get out, and we have to get out _now._

"Faster, ladies, faster!" I shout, attempting to pass Applejack.

The steady rhythm of deflected shots matches that of my hooves on the ground. We've come close to the end of town when a shattering sound nearly stops me in my tracks, followed by a thump behind me.

The force field just broke.

I skid to a halt and turn back to see who was hit. Pinkamena lies, curled in a pained fetal position, on the ground. Blood pours from her side and onto the street. I conjure a beam of magic and manage to somehow lift Pinkamena off the street and onto my back. I continue to run, blasting pegasi who try to take my injured friend with my own attack spell. We run into the thicket of the Everfree Forest, safe and concealed for now.

"Somepony was hit!" Applejack shouts frantically when we stop. She checks herself for wounds then sweeps over all of us until she comes to Pinkamena lying on my back. "Oh, sweet Celestia!"

"Applejack!" Twilight hisses. "Quiet down. The soldiers will hear us."

Unfortunately, she was too late. A multitude of pegasi soar in above us, followed by more unicorns. Twilight conceals Pinkamena instantly with an invisibility spell. Shots fire, just barely missing us.

"T-Twilight..." Fluttershy whispers. "What do we do?"

Twilight jumps to the side, dodging a beam.

"Here's what we do, Fluttershy. You and I will take on the pegasi. Applejack and Rarity will combat the unicorns. Ready, girls?"

"Agh!" I shout, ducking to avoid another beam. "Ready!"

"Break!"

Applejack gets an immediate hold on things. She attacks the earthbound unicorns with no mercy, kicking and biting and fighting dirty. None hesitate to fire at her. I, however, manage to stay a safe distance away from the rough housing to protect Pinkamena, conjuring up as many beams as possible. My attack beams are not nearly as powerful as Twilights, but I can conjure more quicker. A serious wound from me takes about three shots, as strong as I can manage. I grit my teeth, firing up my horn, and shoot.

Twilight and Fluttershy seem to be handling the pegasi fairly well. Twilight is granted closer targets because of her ability to meet them on their chosen terrain, and each shot brings somepony down. Fluttershy is having some trouble letting out her 'inner beast', as always. However, she is useful in the distraction tactic while Twilight powers up her attack beams. One pegasus stallion, whom I once knew as Time Turner, staggers to his hooves and advances, limping towards me. I freeze. His eyes narrow as he draws closer. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth. He drags himself towards me. I tremble slightly with fear. I can hardly stand to look at him. At how he's changed.

He grits his teeth and attacks viciously. Trying to rip me apart. I struggle, managing to push him off. I shut my eyes, forcing as much power as possible into this beam. Once I can't hold it anymore, I fire the beam, blasting Time Turner back at least four feet. He collapses, and in a matter of seconds a pool of his own blood surrounds him. I nearly retch at the sight.

"Girls, gather!" Twilight orders. We obey, quickly gathering in a cluster.

Twilight hovers above us, warding off attackers as best as she can. A rush of darkness speeds before me until suddenly we're no longer in the Everfree. No longer surrounded by soldiers. Instead, we are in the Zecora, the potion maker's hut. Twilight slams the door shut and flings a chair under the handle. She draws the curtains so nopony can see through the windows. We'll be able to hide out here for a little while.

"Rarity! You're hurt!" Fluttershy exclaims in her quiet, raspy voice.

I search myself, finding multiple bleeding tears in my coat. Time Turner certainly didn't hold back.

"No matter. Pinkamena needs aid." I say, gesturing to the bloody mess on the floor where the still-invisible Pinkamena lays.

"I'll patch her up, but we have to hurry." Twilight says in a rush. "The unicorn soldiers have been trained in advanced attack magic. Once they find us, they won't hesitate to blow this hut to pieces."


	3. Applejack

_/Hey, guys! I am so sorry this chapter has taken so long... I swear this story will never go unfinished. I hate leaving behind projects. I just got really busy all of a sudden. I saw two amazing movies (Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X Men: Days of Future Past) and did some other stuff, too. Infinite thanks to my first two reviewers, I NEED BACKSTORY and ! You guys are awesome, and I'm glad you like my story so much!/_

* * *

Twilight lays Pinkie on her side, showing us all her wound. I can see it shimmering violently with a sorta magical residue, pouring blood. Pinkie grunts in pain as Twilight opens up one of Zecora's cabinets and starts pilfering through the different mixtures.

"Don't, Twilight, you don't know potions like Zecora did." Pinkie says through grit teeth.

"I'm not going to let you get infected, Pinkamena. You could die." Twilight says hurriedly, plucking a colorful herb from a pot.

"And you could poison me quicker, Twilight! Just put some bandages on the wound or something and I won't bleed to death!"

I stare at Pinkie. She's never had an outburst like that before. I mean, I know she's changed and all since Dash left, but she's never yelled at one of us like that before. It's kinda scary, seeing her angry.

"I think you have to try _somethin', _Twi." I say. "Only Celestia knows what kinda things can happen after a blast like that."

Twilight hangs her head slightly. I keep forgetting that Princess Celestia is, well, dead. It just doesn't seem that likely and I keep thinking she's still in Canterlot, sending out troops.

"I don't think I asked you, Applejack..." Pinkie grunts, holding her side.

"And I don't think I was talkin' to you, Pinkie..." I mutter, grabbing a roll of cloth bandages from the cabinet.

I clench one end of the cloth in my teeth and start gently wrapping it around Pinkie's torso. She flinches in pain, turning over so I can't get to the wound. I grunt, frustrated. If she would just hold still... She fidgets on the floor.

"What in tarnation are you doin', Pinkamena?" I huff. "Keep still!"

I try to get to the wound again, but Pinkie flinches like I'm coming at her with a weapon.

"You have to hold still or she can't help you, Pinkamena." Fluttershy murmurs soothingly, sitting down beside her.

Pinkie looks up into Fluttershy's comforting eyes and holds rigidly still. I dab at her bloody wound with the cloth in my teeth and she cries out. She grasps onto Fluttershy's hoof and nods stiffly. I gently place the cloth on her torso. Pinkie grits her teeth and squeezes the hoof in her grasp. Twilight uses her magic to gently lift Pinkie off the ground. I wrap the cloth bandage around her torso about five times around and tie it off as carefully as possible. Twilight lowers Pinkie to the ground.

"You okay?" I ask quietly.

"Apart from the fact that I might be bleeding my treacherous life away, I'm doing just peachy, Applejack." Pinkie grunts sarcastically.

I don't respond but to sit beside her. Out of the corner of my eye, Twilight bustles about the cabinets and sinks hurriedly and levitates a steaming cup of a clear substance towards Pinkie.

"This will ease the pain. Drink up." She says.

Pinkie studies the medicine skeptically.

"Do you know what you're doing?" She asks.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't give you anything that I didn't know for a fact would work. I learned _that _lesson the hard way." Twilight bites her lip guiltily. We all flinch at the memory. "You trust me, don't you?"

Twilight eases the cup closer to Pinkie, who takes a cautious sip. When nothing happens she allows Twilight to empty the contents down her throat.

"I do believe we should get moving. I see shadows." Rarity says, panicked.

"Can you stand, Pinkamena?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie pulls herself up, trembling, but manages to get steady. She nods. I get up beside her, keeping her steady. We can't risk anypony falling behind, so somepony's gotta keep her on her hooves. Twilight flings open the door and we all get running. Hoofsteps behind us speed up, growing louder with every moment. My heart thumps in my chest, my breaths growing heavy, sharp, and painful. My hooves pound against the dirt, stumbling. Terrified I might fall. Terrified one of us might be hit. A fatal wound would end us.

If only Rainbow Dash were here...

* * *

"_I trusted you, Twilight! I trusted that potion might work!" Rainbow Dash screamed, voice breaking. Tears streaming from her eyes. _

"_I... I thought it would..." Twilight stammered._

_Her eyes were bloodshot. Tired, as if she hadn't slept in weeks. Which was true, she hadn't. She had stayed up all month, without rest, working to finish that potion. She relied entirely on coffee from Sugarcube Corner to keep her awake, and it was driving her crazy. _

"_Well, it didn't! My mother is _dead _because of you, Twilight!" _

* * *

Tears fill my eyes. That was one of the roughest days any of us have had to face in a long time, especially for Twilight. I feel a burning skim across my hide and, looking down, blood drips down my side in a long cut. I bite my lip and continue running alongside Pinkie.

"You doin' alright?" I ask.

"I'm fine!" Pinkie shouts.

I look back. The others are still behind us, safe. I'm not the only one that's been hit, though. Rarity runs lopsided, blood trickling from her back right. More blood pours from a wound near the tip of Fluttershy's wing. Twilight's cheek bleeds similar to my side, in a long cut. I breathe a sharp, painful, cold breath. Any one of us could be killed at any time.

We need to find Rainbow Dash, and we need to find her _fast. _

* * *

_/Well, that was fun. I hope that little bit of backstory is satisfying for now. I'll add on as the story progresses, don't worry. You'll get the whole thing. I'll see you all in the next chapter, which I hope comes faster than this one did!/ _


	4. Fluttershy

_/Hey, guys! Okay, okay, I broke my promise of an earlier chapter, but I swear it is not my fault this time. My computer freaked out and I couldn't do anything on it, but I got the chapter done!/_

* * *

My breaths come out shaky and burn in my throat. I feel the blood drip down my wing. I'm terrified that I'll be caught. Terrified that I'll fall and the girls won't be able to save me in time. Terrified of dying. I breathe heavily, trying to focus only on the sound of my hooves pounding on the ground. Tears stream uncontrollably from my eyes. Everypony is out to get us now. Many used to be friends of mine. Thunderlane was one of my first friends. He helped me learn to fly better when Rainbow Dash was too busy. Now he is chasing after me, thirsty for my blood. Blossomforth, my old neighbor, now wants me dead.

Dead... Dead! That's what I will be if I can't get out of here! My breathing speeds up, cold and hot and painful in my throat, as I begin to run faster. So fast my chest burns. Wind pushes against my face, forcing more tears from my eyes. I start flapping my wings as hard as I possibly can. A scream escapes me, and I push hard, passing Twilight. She stares at me in shock and awe as I soar past clumsily, pain shooting through my wing.

I hear shots firing towards me and lift myself higher, ready to give out from the aches. But I don't want to die. Not before I see Rainbow Dash. I need to see her one more time, I need her to know how much I miss her. How much I need her. But most of all, Twilight needs to come to grips with what she did. That's why I agreed to come along, to help Twilight through it. I know it was an accident. But Twilight and Rainbow Dash think differently, and they need more than anything to forgive each other.

Rarity has been blaming herself for Rainbow leaving, all to take weight off of Twilight's shoulders. It was, however, a team effort. Twilight's mistake started it off. All of us said some things, but Rarity said the worst of all.

* * *

_I stood beside Twilight, who had fallen to the ground in exhaustion, crying uncontrollably. I vaguely listened to Rarity trying to defend Twilight, but all I could hear was Twilight crying until-_

"_Well then, Rainbow Dash, if you feel that way about Twilight then you surely feel the same way about us!" Rarity shouted. "Twilight tried to save your mother, and it is not her fault that she failed. In fact, I am absolutely positive that your mother was so sick of your pathetic attempts at trying to save her that she killed herself!"_

* * *

My flashback is interrupted by a shout from below me. I look down to see Applejack trip over herself, leaving dark bloodstains on the grass. She stumbles back to her hooves and continues running clumsily.

"Applejack!" I shout, voice stinging in my throat.

"Keep goin', Sugarcube!" Applejack shouts up to me, coughing.

I clench my teeth, narrowing my eyes against the wind. If Applejack can keep going, then so can I. We run and fly, desperately trying to get away from the bloodthirsty ponies firing shots at us, but no matter how fast we run we can't seem to shake them. They don't seem to be giving up.

"Twilight!" I cry. "We can't escape!"

Twilight fires up her horn beside me. Darkness rushes before me and a splitting pain shoots through my back leg before I hit the ground. I skid across asphalt, feeling my hide scrape underneath me. Twilight lands beside me.

"Oh, dear..." She mutters. "Fluttershy was hit!"

My back leg burns. I can feel the blood drain from it. But I force myself up. All of us were hit somewhere, at least once. I focus my eyes on the girls. They're all a bloody mess. Pinkie Pie bleeds through the bandage wrapped around her torso, scratches covering her body. A long, deep gash runs across Applejack's side. Rarity's leg drags limp behind her. Blood drips down Twilight's face from her ear.

"I'm fine." I grunt, shifting weight to my front side.

"Where in tarnation did you teleport us, Twi?" Applejack asks, looking around.

Come to think of it, this place does look slightly familiar. I can't place it, however, because of all the blood everywhere and my watering eyes I have yet to wipe.

"Yes, where have we gone?" Rarity continues the question.

"We're in the Crystal Empire's castle. Anypony who is here is hiding in the castle. They're all trustworthy. I know Princess Cadence is dead, but my brother may still be alive, and if he is he's still here. We can regroup here for just a little bit." Twilight says.

I blink a few times, clearing my eyes. Looking around once again, I can recognize the towering, glimmering gems that make up the crystal castle. All now dripping with blood. Rarity and I exchange looks.

"You look for your brother, Twilight. We'll find any other survivors." Pinkie says.

Twilight nods and runs off in the direction of the throne room. The rest of us split up and run through different hallways. I trot awkwardly, back leg giving out with every step. I come before a flight of stairs, which I stumble clumsily down.

"Who is that?" A trembling voice cries.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." I say, walking into the room.

A battered, bloody pegasus lies weakly on the floor, breathing heavily. I walk slowly towards her. She looks vaguely familiar.

"F-Fluttershy?" She stammers.

Oh goodness.

"Princess Cadence?"

* * *

_/Aaaand another cliffhanger. Reviews and follows fuel my writing stamina, plus I will love you forever. You don't have to, though. I won't force you./_


	5. Pinkamena Diane Pie

_/Good day, friends! I haven't got anything to say this time around, so I hope you enjoy the chapter!/_

* * *

I trot quietly through the crystal-paved hallway. The walls are spattered with blood and there does happen to be a body lying in my path. A crystal pony who has long since stopped shining. I kick the body out of my way. I am extremely grateful all this happened when it did. Pinkie Pie would never manage to make her Element shine in this situation. She would be a broken mare. To Pinkamena Diane Pie, however? This is the most ironically hilarious situation ever! I mean, come on. A great war breaks out almost right after the Element of Loyalty abandons her friends? How funny is that?

In fact, Rainbow Dash has been gone for two years. The war started about a year and a half ago, when the first terrorists attacked Canterlot. Coincidence? Think about it. That is just enough time for Rainbow to get some hidden revolutionaries fired up. Maybe get Discord back on the chaotic evil side once again. How else could the Princess trifecta be wiped out so easily? How else could all of Equestria suddenly be convinced that the Princess of Friendship and her friends, the ones who have saved them literally countless times, are the bad guys? Rainbow Dash must have Discord on her side and the whole war is her doing. That is the only logical explanation. The timelines add up. Besides, I can totally see some rage-consumed Dash trying to get us destroyed.

I turn a corner, thinking I hear a soft _thump_. I speed up a little bit.

"Is anypony there?" I call.

Suddenly the noise goes silent. Beginning to worry, I start running. Somepony could be seriously hurt. Somepony could have just died.

"Hey, who is that?" I call again.

I make it to where the noise came from and skid to a halt. I skim the room up and down. Completely bare. What in Equestria was that? _Who _was that? _Thump. Thump. _There it is again. Louder this time. I look everywhere in the room. In every corner, behind every crevice. Nothing is in place by the time I decide it was just in my head. _Thump. Thump. _Oh my gosh. Seriously, what is that?

"Whoever you are, you'd better come out right now." I say, voice rising.

_Thump thump. Thump._ I check again. Still nothing. I press my ear against the cold wall. _**THUMP! **_I fall backwards with a shout. Pain shoots up my spine. I lie on the ground, unmoving. I see a crack in the crystal-paved wall. Another thump, the crack grows. Something is attacking from the outside. Heh. Maybe I could just stay here and let whoever it is break through. Whatever it is, it'll obviously be after us. Besides, if it turns out my theory is true, we'll be running for the rest of our lives anyway. I may as well let it get me. I glance out the window. There's a fire escape out there, so whoever it is got out through the window and has been waiting out there for a little while.

I relax on the floor. Ready for whatever is coming.

"Pinkie Pie!" An outside voice shouts, followed by another thump.

"Yes?" I ask calmly.

"Open the window!" I look back out the window. Somepony is standing on the ledge, banging her head against the wall. "Please, I'm going to rupture my skull put here!"

"Sorry, I can't move."

I load groan echoes through the walls. The thuds come again, weaker this time. Whoever that is, I know them. And, if one sliver of Pinkie Pie remained, it's the caring part. So I drag myself to the window and slowly open it. An extremely familiar light blue pegasus jumps through the window. She pulls herself up and coughs a few times, shaking her head. I study her briefly.

Well, of course it's Rainbow Dash. Only she is extremely injured. Her mouth is bloody, the tip of her left ear has been torn off, there's a sling tied around her body, holding an injured right wing (the other one is unfurled and completely unharmed). Her left leg hangs up above the ground, wrapped up in a bandage, and her right eye is bloodshot and bruised.

"Oh my goodness, Pinkie Pie! I've missed you so much!" She cries, wrapping her wing around me.

I push her away. A perplexed look crosses Rainbow Dash's face that is wiped away almost instantly when she looks me up and down. She takes a few steps back upon noticing the flatness of my mane.

"Don't touch me." I say.

"What happened to you, Pinkie?"

"Don't call me that." I order. "Nothing happened. Not really."

I clench my teeth behind closed lips. I can feel Pinkie Pie fighting to break free. All I want to do is hug Rainbow Dash tightly and tell her how much I love her. How much I've missed her. How happy I am to see her.

But that is not going to happen. Not on my life.

"Well, okay." Rainbow says quietly. "Come with me! I've found a survival camp that travels Equestria, looking for the sick and injured! They can keep us safe."

I can feel the inner Pinkie clawing with all her might inside me. Maybe I should go with Rainbow. I might be safer with her than with the girls. I mean, she's part of a survival camp, which would obviously have some means of protection.

But on the other hoof, I have my theory. This could be a trick, and Rainbow would be leading me straight to the terrorists. I mean, obviously she doesn't know that the others are here in the castle with me. She thinks I'm alone. But one Element is still good enough. It's not like she would need to get us all together. I can't trust her.

"Sorry, Rainbow, but I'm already part of a survival camp." I lie.

"Really? Which one? I'll join yours." Rainbow says happily.

"No, you can't." I think quickly. "It's... Uh... No pegasi. No unicorns either. Strictly earth pony camp. If you have wings or a horn they blow you to bits with their cannons because nopony can be trusted."

That was a terrible lie. But it was all I could think of. Rainbow stares at me, absolutely baffled. Of course she would be, I wasn't a racist pony when she knew me. I'm still not, of course.

"Well, you can trust me, right? I'm hardly even a pegasus anymore, look. I'm completely grounded. Maybe you can just tell them that I'm trustworthy and they'll-"

"Rainbow, that's not going to work on them." I interrupt. "It's a strict rule. One time a pony whose wings didn't work tried to join us, saying that he was basically an earth pony, and they still attacked him. I helped him get out alive."

Rainbow Dash sighs and remains silent for a moment, contemplating my awful, awful story. I can tell she believes it. She wouldn't have reacted like that if she knew I was lying.

"Okay, okay, fine. You keep to your camp and I'll keep to mine. But please, can we rest here for the night? Just keep us hidden here and we'll leave in the morning. It'll be like we were never even here."

"We were just about to leave. Take the place to yourself if you want."

Rainbow Dash thanks me and whistles out the window. I leave the room before anypony can arrive. I have to get the others out of here, before her terrorist camp attacks. I run through each hallway, grabbing all my friends. I'm having a hard time finding Fluttershy, but I'll just find Twilight first... The rest of the girls regroup in the center of the castle. I run down to the throne room Twilight went to, looking for Shining Armor.

"Twilight! Twilight!" I hiss. "Did you find him?"

I stop before Twilight, sitting on the ground in front of a dead body.

"Yes." She whispers with a shaky voice.

"Twilight?"

I walk around her to get a good look at the bloody body. It's a stallion. White, with a blue mane. A unicorn.

"He's dead, Pinkamena."

* * *

_/Hey, we got a Rainbow Dash in this chapter! And a dead Shining Armor. I am a terrible person, I know. Do you guys think KPLUS is too soft a rating? What with all the blood and bodies and stuff? I don't think it's that graphic, but do you think I should change it? Let me know down in the reviews!/_


	6. Twilight Sparkle 2

_/I am so, so, so sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I wanted to get it up by last Sunday, but I kept getting pulled away from my work and I had camp all of last week. I really hope this chapter makes it up to you guys... Big thanks to The Lava Queen and Guest for the input last chapter. Very fair point, I appreciate immensely! The rating, therefore, shall not change. And I will try to speed up the backstories as much as possible. Thank you for the feedback! On to the chapter then. Enjoy!/_

* * *

"Oh, Celestia..." Pinkie murmurs, and for the first time in years I sense true emotion in her voice.

Hot tears stream down my face. I've witnessed so many deaths in the past year. I was able to handle them all so far, even Cadence's. But all these added up fates, topped off with the death of my best friend in all of Equestria, my brother... I just can't take it. My legs give out and I collapse on top of his body, sobbing violently. Holding tightly to his lifeless, cold figure, I wait for Pinkie to pull me away like she did when Big Mac died. But I feel nothing. I hear a soft thud and glance to her. She sits beside me in silence. More tears escape my eyes and I feel her hoof on my back.

"I-I'm sorry..." I mutter, sniffling.

Pinkie shakes her head, pulling me close to her.

"Don't be sorry, Twilight." She whispers. "Let it out..."

I'm nearly shocked. Her voice hasn't been this kind or compassionate in years. I hear the urgency in it, however, and pull myself away from Shining Armor's body. Pinkie and I walk together to the throne room, where I find the other girls waiting.

"Twilight? Are you alright, Darling?" Rarity asks, running to me.

"My brother..." I sniffle. I need not say more. Realization crosses Rarity's face and she hugs me. "No... I'm fine. We should go."

"Yes, let's go. Right now." Pinkie says urgently, glancing down a hallway.

All but Fluttershy move towards the exit. She edges towards a passageway. Pinkie notices this and calls for her to follow us.

"One moment, please." Fluttershy says quietly. "Come on out, they're all out here. Even Twilight."

_Who could she be talking to? _No, it doesn't matter. We need to leave. I need to find out what Pinkie is so urgent about. I shrug it off and walk through the crystal doors. Fluttershy quickly catches up, followed a few paces behind by a strange pegasus. She's taller than the rest of us. A sort of light pink color, with a purple, hot pink, and creamish-yellow colored mane. She looks strangely familiar. Her eyes light up when she makes eye contact with me.

"Twilight!" She cries, speeding towards me. "Oh, I was terrified you'd be dead!"

She hugs me in a bone-crushing embrace, which I can't help but welcome. Once we separate I get a closer look at her. I study her face intently, paying her eyes the most attention.

"Cadence! You're alive!" I cry. "But, I thought you were killed with the others?"

Cadence sighs and begins walking down the crystal-paved streets. I follow her.

"So did I. Everyone does. It took me a long time to figure it out myself. You saw the 'revolutionaries' carry our bodies back to our respective castles once we'd been executed, correct?" She asks.

I do.

* * *

"_Think of this as an example, Princess of Friendship!" A revolutionary shouted. I stood at my window in shock and terror. Ready to collapse. "If you and your council do not relinquish yourselves to us, more will die!" _

_The once all-powerful princess trifecta lay before my door, a mess of blood. They had all been killed right in front of me. Revolutionaries held them, threatening to kill if we did not surrender. I was ready to save them. We all were. But all I needed was a head-shake from Princess Celestia to tell me no. That was what I got, and that was what I understood. So I didn't move, and each princess was killed one by one. _

_After the little show, the revolutionaries carried the princesses off to their respective castles to show their citizens what a monster Twilight Sparkle is._

* * *

"I woke up hours later on a table. I found my horn was missing and I was no longer a princess. All the crystal ponies had fled the empire, except for Shining Armor and very few others. We decided it would be best for me to stay hidden, and I used that time to figure out how I was still alive. You see, Twilight, I was also not born an alicorn. I was born a pegasus and given a horn by Princess Celestia once I had proved myself."

"What does that mean?" I ask, intrigued.

"Well, I suppose it means that only Celestia and Luna, both born alicorns, can be killed on the first try like that. But you and I, we have lived two lives. Becoming princesses gave us extra time, and if we are killed once, all that happens is we lose our title. If you die, you will lose your wings like I lost my horn. But I only have one chance left."

That's a lot to process. So I suppose I can sacrifice myself once, and return a normal unicorn once again? But after that I'll be gone for good. I wonder if she knows that Shining Armor is... Never mind. She's here and she's alive, and that's all that matters.

"Come on! We have to _leave!" _Pinkie shouts back at us.

She's at least twenty feet ahead of us all, urgently running. Cadence and I exchange looks and she starts running. I follow suit and catch up with Pinkie.

"What's eating you, Pinkamena?" I ask.

"What? Nothing. I'm fine." She snaps.

"Don't lie to us, Diane. Somethin's buggin' you." Applejack says.

"Nothing is bothering me. I just want to get out of here so we can try to find Rainbow Dash." Pinkie bites her lip hard. She squeezes her eyes shut and I just barely see a small tear escape one.

I didn't see that... I have to pretend. I see Applejack open her mouth, but I shake my head and she stops. We can't press, or we'll break her. And I don't want to break her.

"Where should we look, girls?" Rarity asks.

"Anywhere that's not here. I get the feeling your friend wants to leave." Cadence says calmly.

I nod and fire up my horn. Off we go. I don't even know where I'm taking us.

* * *

_/There you go. Explanation to Cadence surviving and whatnot. I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will not be this late, I swear./_


	7. Rainbow Dash

_/Oh hey there friends. See, I told you this one wouldn't be so late. Big thanks to for the review! Well... Uh... Haven't got much else to say here. So... Enjoy the chapter, I guess!/_

* * *

Something strange must have happened to Pinkie while I was gone. Her mane has gone flat and shadows seem to like drifting over her, like that one time she forgot her own birthday and thought we didn't like her anymore. She seemed extremely uneasy when I mentioned my survival camp. Not only that, but she left very fast, too. I don't see why Pinkie Pie of all ponies would join a camp that's specified only for earth ponies, considering her best friends are all multi-racial. I was really hoping she'd come with me. My camp has told me to find as many survivors as possible. The more I know, the better. I've missed her so much...

"Okay, everypony, get in here." I say as Pinkie leaves.

Assorted pegasi fly in through the window, carrying earth ponies. Unicorns levitate themselves inside.

"Great job getting in, Rainbow Dash." Lightning Dust says. "Who was that pony? The one who just left?"

"That was my best friend Pinkie Pie." I say. "I tried to get her to stay, but she's already with a survival camp."

Lightning Dust glances out the door Pinkie left through and flinches violently, bringing a hoof to the bandage around her head. She walks slowly towards the door and looks out. I hear others talking, but their voices are drowned out by the loud, droning sound that fills my ears as my vision blurs slightly. Sheesh, why am I so dizzy?

"RAINBOW DASH!" Lightning Dust shouts.

"Huh? What?" I shake my head.

"Lightspeed asked you a question."

I turn to the stallion in question, a red earth pony with a black mane.

"What did you want, Lightspeed?" I ask dizzily. Lightspeed helps me balance.

"You said your friend's in another camp, yeah? Why don't we try forming a merger with them?" He asks. "We're a pretty small group, so we won't add on that much."

"But how can we be sure this camp is trustworthy? They could all be traitors!" An unplaceable voice shouts from behind me.

"Rainbow Dash? What do you think?" Lightspeed asks.

Form a merger... With Pinkie Pie's camp... That sounds like a good idea. I can see my friend again, we can get some more protection, maybe more medicine and food. _Rainbow, what are you talking about? Pinkie's camp is earth pony specific! They'll blow you to bits! _Aaaaugh!

"Only if any unicorn and pegasus in this camp feels like getting killed," I mutter.

"What was that?" Lightning Dust asks.

"My friend's camp is sort of... Racist. They only accept earth ponies. Any unicorn or pegasus that tries to join gets attacked with cannons. That's what she told me when I asked about it."

Lightspeed chuckles softly while every other pegasus and unicorn takes a step back.

"That sounds like a terrorist camp to me!" The same voice from earlier, a pegasus stallion named Pumpkin Seed, shouts.

"You're only saying that because you're not an earth pony!" A mare named Moondancer huffs.

"Oh, look who's defending the terrorists! An earth pony! Why don't you join that camp then?" A unicorn named Minuette shouts.

"Can everypony please _shut up?" _Lightning Dust screams, wrapping a wing around her head and flinching.

The room is swept in silence and my three remaining legs give out. I collapse to the ground and slowly pull myself to a seated position. My head starts throbbing again. The loud droning fills my ears and I try to shake it out.

"Terrorist camp or not, Dash trusts her friend. Don't you, Dash?"

"Mhmm..." I grunt.

"Maybe we can't form a merger with this earth pony camp, but we can try to convince this Pinkie Pie to come with us. Many earth ponies are known to be expert fighters, and we could use some more muscle after what happened last week. Rainbow Dash, do you think you can get to your friend in time to bring her back here so we can talk to her?"

I nod, rid of the droning. I pull myself back to my remaining hooves, unfurl my left wing for balance, and take off running as fast as I can go. I hear voices down the hall. The earth pony camp. I have to be careful... I edge up close to the wall and sneak across the cool, crystal stone. I manage to make it past them without getting caught, following Pinkie's quiet voice. She's in another room now, with another pony. Another crying pony. I study the other equine, realizing she looks familiar. It started with a T, I think... T-T-T... Twi... Twili... Twilight...

Twilight Sparkle?

"_Rainbow Dash! What have you done?!" Twilight screamed at me. Her face was lit with pure rage. I backed away. "You've lead them straight to us, you unbelieveable imbecile!" _

There goes my head again. It aches. It pounds. I stare at the two ponies, unable to move. I lose my footing and Pinkie looks up at me. Her eyes narrow in an angry death glare.

"Don't be sorry, Twilight." I hear her whisper. "Let it out..."

I stumble backwards and start running back down the hall, trying to ignore the splitting pain in my head. I can't trust any of them. Not Pinkie, not Twilight, not... Whoever else... I make it outside the door of the room my camp is in. I hear them talking. But I don't go back in. I can't move. I sit on the cold, crystal-paved ground. Shaking. Pained.

"Urrghhhh!" I shout.

Lightspeed peeks his head out and lifts me up onto his back.

"Lightning Dust." He mutters.

These are the ponies I can trust. These are the ponies that care about me.

Right?

* * *

_/Woah woah what? My pattern was broken? Wait, I'm not keeping a pattern. I'm skipping around as much as I want because hey! It's my own story and I can do whatever I want! Hahaha. Yeah. My chapter set ups are confused. Well, uh, have a good night, I suppose. I hope you enjoyed this chapter./_


	8. Rarity 2

_/Good day to you, my lovely readers! Today's thanks goes to Guest for the review, and for the interesting idea. Who knows, maybe Pinkamena will go Cupcakes! (Which isn't mine) I really like that idea, so I just may use it. Okie dokie loki, time for the chapter then. Enjoy!/_

* * *

Twilight sends us off hurriedly. Th black film is there and gone in moments, and we arrive at our destination.

"Canterlot Castle? Are you sure, Twilight?" I ask. This _is _where Celestia and Luna's bodies are, after all. Surely they are being used as a sort of beacon for the terrorists.

"It was the first place that came to my mind!" Twilight cries, horn sparking frantically. "I can only use my teleportation spell so many times in the same hour!"

Well then. I see where this is going. It seems that now Twilight can't get us out of here. Smashing. While Cadence tries to calm her sister-in-law, I take in our surroundings. We are on the roof of Canterlot Castle, not inside. Not necessarily outside, either. I gaze across the skyline and down to the city. Of course, I was right. Terrorists have ravaged this city as well. No, not just ravaged. This is not like the Crystal Empire. They have completely taken over the once-beautiful city.

The streets are smeared expertly with what I am going to imagine is red paint. _DOWN WITH THE TYRANTS _they spell. More expert calligraphy covers the buildings. _SURRENDER _some read. Others say things like _FRIENDSHIP WILL FALL. _Paintings of our once-regal monarchs lay in the center of the city. Most burning. Others hung up high, smeared with large red Xs over their faces. I turn. On the roof of the castle, where the flag of the sun and moon once flew, a new flag is erected in black.

**FREEDOM STANDS.**

* * *

_It felt like such a normal day. The girls and I were simply walking through town, back to the castle after a well-deserved celebratory brunch at Sugarcube Corner. We'd all gotten used to life without Rainbow Dash. Twilight had assured us that when a threat arose, she would return. She was the Element of Loyalty after all. She wouldn't leave us and never come back, right? _

_Well... That's when the first attack came._

_A boulder was flung at us from a catapult. A warning shot, it seemed. After that, a multitude of pegasi dive-bombed us, carrying unicorns firing attack spells at us. We ran. We ran as fast as we could back to the castle and as soon as we got there, Twilight put up the strongest force field she could manage. We kept her calm and safe, to ensure as much focus as possible was on the shield. _

"_Surrender, Princess of Friendship!" _

_And so, the first call of war rang out._

* * *

"This was not a good idea, Twilight." Pinkamena states blankly.

"I know that, Pinkamena!" Twilight cries in a panic. Cadence shushes her calmly.

"Don't lead them to us." She whispers.

Twilight breathes heavily and shakily in and out, trying desperately to calm down. Fluttershy hugs her tightly, whispering something inaudible in her ear. Eventually the young princess calms down. I clear my throat.

"There is only one thing to do, girls. We must stay completely out of sight until Twilight can perform her teleportation spell once again." I say.

"Where do you expect us to go, Rarity?" Applejack asks. "We can't very well stay up here, we'll be seen!"

I roll my eyes and sink down to the ground, making myself as difficult to spot as possible. I slink across the roof and down onto a balcony, keeping out of the doorway. Applejack stares down at me as I climb down to the street, concealing myself in some bushes. All the girls watch as I smear myself in mud and brush my mane out of its curl with a spare branch. I peer out from behind the branch and dip my hoof in a small puddle of blood, which I wipe all over myself.

I am no longer Rarity, Element of Generosity. I am Rough Cut. Revolutionary!

The girls stare down at me, completely baffled. I grin and take a bow as each one follows suit, dirtying themselves up as well. Pinkamena will now be known as Terror Decor. Fluttershy is now Millennium. Applejack is Kickflip. Cadence is Manic Heartbreak. Twilight is Mantra Flash.

We step out of the bushes and skulk about the city, attempting to look as casual as possible when we are suddenly caught by a beat-up stallion with his wings outstretched.

"Who're you six?" He asks, voice rough and scratchy.

"Terror Decor, sir." Pinkamena steps forward. "We're part of the Manehatten branch of recruits."

"Manehatten branch, huh? Well step back in line, soldiers." The stallion says.

"Yes, sir." Pinkamena says.

We line up and the stallion shoves us forward. I can't help but notice Twilight's fixed gaze as he does so. She knows this stallion. But never mind that, we have disguises to keep up. I send her sharp kick to the knee, and she gets her head back in gear. The pegasus stallion marches us through the doors of Canterlot Castle.

"I found a group of soldiers from the Manehatten branch wandering around, ma'am." He says.

A nearly unrecognizable unicorn mare stands guard before the door of the throne room.

Trixie.

I can tell she recognizes us by the shocked look that crosses her face, quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Send them upstairs." She orders. "I'll be right there to... Speak with them."

"Yes, ma'am." The stallion says, shoving us forward once again.

We walk nonchalantly up the stairs and into an empty room. The stallion stands beside it, minutes later met by Trixie. He leaves, Twilight staring at him all the while, a look of pain in her eyes. Trixie slams the door and advances on us threateningly. A downright evil grin stretches across her face.

"Twilight Sparkle." She snarls.

"Trixie." Twilight growls, taking a step forward.

I glance at all the girls. This is it, isn't it? My heart drops in my stomach. I'd been sure my disguises were absolutely fantastic, too. Fluttershy trembles. Applejack bites her lip. Cadence is prepared to die for the second time. Even Pinkamena shakes in the grasp of death. But Twilight stands strong.

"I thought you'd be dead..." Trixie cries suddenly, pulling Twilight close to her.

Twilight's eyes widen in shock and she shoves the other unicorn off her.

"What in Equestria are you talking about?" She demands.

"Honestly, Twilight, you didn't think I was _this _awful, did you?"

Trixie leans over and winks at us, a genuine smile on her face. Well then. What follows is a long, heated conversation as Twilight tries to justify what just happened. Trixie explains herself. She had been living in Saddle Arabia when the terrorists attacked, working on meditation techniques to better herself. When she heard the news of the attack, she planned to stay hidden until the terrorists were defeated. She expected Princess Twilight Sparkle to be able to take care of it in a snap.

But when the reigning monarchs were killed, she knew that this was not something Twilight would be able to handle. This was not going to blow over. So she left Saddle Arabia as a missionary, hoping to find Twilight and bring her back with her. She was picked up by the terrorists when she passed through Canterlot, however, and taken into the soldier program when she convinced them she was an independent revolutionary. She couldn't escape, and eventually moved herself up the branch of power.

She's been waiting to get us inside this whole time.

* * *

_/BOOM! Longest chapter yet! They're going to get so much longer from here. I promise. Also Trixie is in this story, too. I'm sure you guys can guess who the pegasus stallion is. Zecora will probably get some love in upcoming chapters, too, so get excited! See you guys next chapter./_


	9. Fluttershy 2

_/Good day, beautiful readers! I'd like to thank and Guest for their reviews last time around. It seems I've got myself some regulars, yeah? I like regulars. Anybody reading this live in Colorado? There was a double rainbow yesterday. It was intense. I am not joking there was seriously a double rainbow. It was freaking amazing./_

* * *

"I'm going to have to sneak us out." Trixie says, glancing out the door. "The general will surely recognize you, so we'll have to make your disguises a little more convincing... Lucky for us there's one other refugee here aside from me. She can help."

Of all the ponies to try helping us, I know Trixie wasn't actually the last I would expect. Not after Discord abandoning us. Especially since that whole Alicorn Amulet debacle, she's seemed much kinder, much more humble. I was sure she wouldn't turn her back on us after that.

"How in Equestria are we supposed to get to this pony? If you recognized us, others will, too." Twilight says.

"Follow me." Trixie insists.

She carefully slides open an air vent and crawls inside. I follow and quickly after, the others do, too. We slink slowly through the cold, smelly vent until we come to the opposite wall, which Trixie opens quietly. We climb back out. Rarity dusts herself off and coughs violently.

"Well hello, Twilight Sparkle and friends. I was worried you had all met your end." A familiar, welcoming voice greets us.

"Zecora!" Twilight shouts, hugging the zebra.

Goodness, Zecora's alive, too? When her hut was left vacant we all assumed she had been killed as well!

"Hey, where's the rainbow one?" Trixie asks, studying Cadence. "I don't remember this pegasus."

"Rainbow Dash left. She's not coming back." Pinkie drawls.

"Actually, we're trying to find her right now." Twilight kicks Pinkie lightly. "We don't know that she's never coming back."

Trixie's eyes widen ever-so-slightly and she whispers something to Zecora that I can't quite pick up. As they engage in a quiet argument, all the girls and I exchange worried looks.

"What's wrong?" Applejack asks.

"Your friend's name is Rainbow Dash?" Trixie replies.

"Yep."

Both Trixie and Zecora shuffle their hooves awkwardly.

"I am so sorry," Trixie starts.

"SHE'S DEAD?" Twilight shouts.

"Shush! No, she isn't dead! But this might be a little bit worse. The general's second in command, Lightning Dust. She isn't here often, but when she does show up she talks about Rainbow Dash a lot." Trixie explains questly.

"I did not say anything because I did not want to worry Trixie. But it was only a matter of time before she found out, I see." Zecora continues.

Lightning Dust... That was the pegasus that Rainbow met at the Wonderbolts Academy. The one that was so reckless she nearly killed us. I never met her, but from the stories Rainbow told, I could never place her as truly evil. Just overzealous. I glance at the other girls. Twilight has a look of absolute horror on her face. Rarity has fallen to the floor. Cadence is listening intently. Pinkie just stands there, as if she knew all along. But Applejack is mad.

"What is it she says?" Applejack demands.

"Most days we hear things like 'Stupid spells wear off so quickly', or 'We need more experienced unicorns'." Trixie admits quietly.

Tears fill Twilight's eyes and she collapses. Cadence catches her. Rarity sits silently. Pinkie stands perfectly still, remaining as if she suspected this the whole time. Applejack's anger intensifies and her legs spring back, kicking over a table. I watch her quietly lose her temper, crying silently the whole time. She destroys the room before Trixie manages to quiet her.

"Please! Keep calm or they'll catch us in here!" She hisses. "Come on, I can take you up to Zecora's balcony workshop. She's concealed it."

Trixie sneaks us up to the top story of the castle and out onto a secret balcony. She assures us we won't be found here. We explain to Zecora our need for more adequate disguises and she immediately gets to work.

"You are in luck, for we have gathered the clothes of many revolutionaries. When I am finished, you will look quite scary." She says. "We must hurry or you will surely die. Let's start with you, Pinkie Pie."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you can't call her Pinkie Pie anymore." I murmur. "She's not the Pinkie we used to know..."

I see Pinkie's eyes darken.

"Why is it again that we can't call you Pinkie?" Rarity asks. "You have changed enough already, I wish we could keep one piece of the old Pinkie with us."

"Will you all please quit calling me that?! That is not my name any more, and we all know why. It's because of you two," Pinkie gestures to Twilight and Rarity. "and it's because of her. Wherever she is. And I'd rather not be reminded of that right now, especially not when we're trying to save her, so quit it. My name is Pinkamena."

Everypony takes a step back at her outburst. When she gets like this, I wouldn't be surprised if she started killing everyone around her. She can get so angry sometimes.

"I'm sorry..." I squeak.

Pinkie breathes heavily, calming herself down.

"Go ahead, Zecora." She breathes.

"Do you six have revolution names to keep you safe? Mine is Wicked Trickster and Zecora's is Riddlemaker."

"Yes, we do." Rarity says happily. She came up with all of them. "I am Rough Cut, Pinkamena is Terror Decor, Fluttershy is Millennium, Applejack is Kickflip, Cadence is Manic Heartbreak, and Twilight is Mantra Flash."

"Flash?" Trixie asks, shocked.

Except for Twilight's.

"After a pegasus stallion I once met in the Crystal Empire. And somewhere else..." Twilight admits, blushing slightly.

"Flash Sentry!" Trixie and Cadence exclaim at the same time.

"Was _that _the stallion who caught us that you couldn't stop staring at, Twilight?" Rarity asks. Twilight nods sheepishly.

"Word around the castle is that he was kidnapped from the Crystal Empire and tortured so badly he finally snapped. That's why he's here." Trixie says.

My goodness! Whoever this general is must be an absolutely awful pony. I sit beside Applejack as we wait. She seems to be deep in thought, most likely regarding what happened to Rainbow.

"Do y'all know what _happened _to Rainbow Dash?" She asks after a little while.

"From what we've gathered, something similar to Flash Sentry. Except I think they're trying to ease her into it using brainwave spells, not torture." Trixie says. "The spells don't seem to be lasting, though, and it's still painful for her."

* * *

Hours pass, but finally Zecora has finished remaking us. Scraggedy clumps of my mane stray on the ground. The color has been changed from pink to a deep blue. Black silk covers my body like an ornate cape. I wear magic contacts that change my eye color to magenta.

Rarity dons a brown cloak and red war paint on her eyes. Her coat is dyed to a light brown color. Twilight's mane, changed from purple and pink to silver and black, stands up to cover her horn. Her coat has been changed to white. Pinkie's flat mane has been snipped in certain places and messed up so it looks like she was rubbed with pure static. She looks almost like she used to, minus the dead look in her eyes. She wears magic contacts as well, changing her eye color to bright green. Applejack's precious hat has been taken away, her ponytails taken out, and her coat color changed to black. Cadence has been made up so her coat color is a dark blue, and her mane color bright white and light blue. She wears a black cloak.

Our cutie marks have been made up to look different as well. Mine is an ornate infinity sign. Applejack's is a karate black belt. Rarity's three diamonds have been united into one ruby with sharp-looking edges. Twilight's is a meditation mantra that I can't read. Cadence's is, what else? A broken heart.

"There. We're ready. You have to meet the general now. Flash Sentry will have told her about you six by now, and she has monitors throughout the whole castle. You'll never leave if you don't see her." Trixie says. "Follow me."

We follow Trixie back through the castle, down the stairs, and into the throne room. Sitting in Princess Celestia's old throne is not a pony after all. In fact, she's only half a pony.

She's a gryphon.

* * *

_/Oh my goodness I wonder who it could be! I'm being sarcastic because it's very obvious and you guys, being the smarties you are, will definitely be able to guess. Also a little more revealed about Rainbow Dash this chapter. And Lightning Dust. And Flash freakin' Sentry. I bet you guys weren't expecting him to show up in this story, were ya? Haha anyway. See you guys next time!/_


	10. Applejack 2

_/Holy crumb cake, tenth consecutive chapter! Big thanks to Guest for the review, and I apologize that the last chapter was just a little drabble... But don't worry, everything in it will be important. And this one will be much more interesting, I promise. MuahahahahHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA okay I'm done./_

* * *

Gilda. I always knew that gryphon was rude, but I never expected something like this outta her. There's nothing I'd like more right now than to smack her a good one, but if I'm going to keep up this crazy charade, I can't.

"Alright, who are these dweebs? Introduce yourselves."

"Hello, your Generalship. I'm Manic Heartbreak and this is my army." Cadence says. "Mantra Flash, Kickflip, Terror Decor, Rough Cut, and Millennium. We are revolutionary soldiers from the Manehatten branch, and we've come only to meet our great new leader."

The gryphon raises a skeptical eyebrow and glides from the throne she sits on, face to beak with Cadence. She studies us all and I study her. A black eyepatch covers her left eye, the ankle of her front left talon is wrapped in a bandage, there's a toothpick clenched tightly between her teeth, and she has a tattered black cloak covering all the rest of her.

"Manehatten branch, huh? Then I'm sure you'll be able to tell me exactly how many rebels have been eradicated in the past month." She says. We all freeze, rigid. "Well? Go on."

"Erm... Okay. Exactly twenty-two rebels." Twilight says uneasily.

"Alright. Agent Polomare! Confirm for me."

An earth pony we met in Manehatten once, Suri Polomare, stands at attention.

"In the past month, thirteen rebel soldiers were eradicated, ma'am!" She says.

Oh, pony feathers. We should've known she'd be able to tell if we were lying. A smug smile stretches across Gilda's face. She reaches up and pulls the cloak's hood off her face, smirking downright sinisterly. Trixie'd better know how to get us outta this! Gilda turns swiftly away from us, leaping back onto her throne. She laughs quietly, volume growing every couple seconds. Everyone around us starts laughing, too, including Trixie.

"If you're going to try sneaking your way in here, at least get an education before you end up looking like losers." Gilda cackles. "Yo, Lightning Dust!"

The teal-colored pegasus glides into the room and lands beside Gilda.

"'Sup?"

"Is she ready? I've got some losers here I'd like her exclusively to take care of."

I'd hope she's not talking about what I think she's talking about, but I already know she is. Lightning Dust nods confidently and leaves the room. Just a second later, Rainbow Dash runs in, skidding across the floor and stopping just barely in front of us.

"Hey, Gilda. What's up?" She says, looking around. "Who are all these ponies?"

"Hey, Dash." Gilda says casually, as if she isn't about to have our best friend _kill _us. "Some loyalists found their way in. They're planning on crushing the rebellion from the inside. I caught 'em in time, but they're too strong for me to handle. Wanna take care of these dweebs?"

That unbelievable... Aw nevermind. Rainbow turns her attention to us and grits her teeth furiously.

She doesn't recognize us.

"Run." Twilight coughs at Trixie.

"What?" Trixie whispers, shocked.

"Get out of here!" Twilight hisses.

"Don'tcha want to get out of the way, Wicked Trickster? Or should I call you _Trixie?_" Gilda snarls. "I'll admit, your lame act had me fooled until these ones showed up. Don't forget I've got soldiers posted at every door throughout the entire castle. Everything you said was heard and reported to me."

Trixie backs away in fear and starts running, only to be stopped by Flash Sentry with a knife in her side. She goes rigid and falls to the ground, trembling as a pool of blood surrounds her on the pristine floor.

"TRIXIE!" Twilight screams, running to her.

"Get 'em, Dash." Gilda says, and Rainbow runs at us.

"_Rainbow!_" I cry.

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash scissorkicks me across the face. I hit the ground and Fluttershy gets hit next. She doesn't move from that, just keeps beating up on the poor girl. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pinkie's eye twitch. She stares at Fluttershy, watching her get battered and beaten. Doing nothing. Her eye twitches again, and she trembles. Violently shakes. Her pupils shrink to teensy dots in the middle of her big blue eyes. Suddenly she moves, very quickly, towards Trixie. She pulls the knife from her skin with her teeth and lunges for Rainbow Dash.

"Leave Fluttershy _alone!_" She screams, pinning Rainbow down to the ground.

Fluttershy lies shaking on the ground, covered in bruises and coughing up blood. Trixie's doing even worse. I get on my hooves and move to Fluttershy, watching Pinkie. She holds Rainbow down, sinking the blade of the knife into her stomach.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Rarity shouts behind me. "You have her subdued, there is absolutely no need to-" She's cut off by Pinkie whirling around, knife still clenched in her teeth. There's a crazed look in her eyes that shuts up the whole room. "Never mind..."

I help Fluttershy to her hooves and hold her up.

"Please don't hurt her!" She cries.

Unfortunately, it's a little too late for that. Rainbow's already pretty beat-up as it is, but Pinkie's sure going to work. She slashes into Rainbow's skin, blood flying. She ain't going deep enough to kill her, but it sure is bloody.

"F-Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash stammers, kicking Pinkie off her.

"Rainbow Dash, please!" Fluttershy screams. "We're your friends!"

Rainbow cocks her head to the side, staring at us silently.

"What are you doing, Dash?! Get them!" Gilda shouts.

The pegasus hesitates a moment before clenching her teeth and raging towards Rarity. Rarity allows her.

"Fight back, Rarity!" I shout. "What're y'all doin'?!"

"I'm not going to fight my friend." She coughs as Rainbow kicks the ever-living crud out of her. "Now, try to remember us, Rainbow Dash! We have known each other for years! Do not let this tacky gryphon shift your loyalties!"

This time, when Rainbow Dash pauses, Twilight takes the opportunity. She levitates Trixie using her magic.

"We are leaving right now, come on, girls!" She shouts.

She drapes Trixie over her back and Rarity stands up. As the black abyss of teleportations surrounds us again, I hear Gilda shout;

"You let them get away, you idiot!"

And then a short pause. Then one last thing from Rainbow Dash, before we're gone.

"But I knew them."

* * *

_/Obvious Winter Soldier reference is obvious! I couldn't help it, I love that film too much. Sorry for the shorter chapter, this gives me no excuse for being late. I hope it was more interesting than the last one, though! I just wanted to get this one up before my birthday, and if I'd tried to cram more stuff in I wouldn't have. Don't expect any updates tomorrow or Sunday, because I will be busy, but I'll try to get the next one up faster. I promise./_


	11. Pinkamena Diane Pie 2

_/Well hello my kind readers! I apologize for the wait, I got busy/slightly lazy. Huge thanks to the two guests for the lovely reviews! Well, I shall get right on the chapter now. Hope you all enjoy!/_

* * *

Don't think I didn't hear what Applejack heard before we were sent off. I've been thinking about it since we crash-landed in the sand. From what I've gathered, whoever does the brainwave spells on Rainbow Dash isn't nearly as experienced as Twilight, so the spells are weak. Familiar faces or names can penetrate through the defense of the spells, which is why she recognized me back in the Crystal Empire and, upon hearing her name, recognized Fluttershy. In a way. Her memory is obviously screwed up, but maybe if we can find a way to get her away from that army, away from Lightning Dust and Gilda, we can pull her back to us.

But honestly, that's the last thing I care about right now. Just because she's a victim doesn't mean we can trust her. Rainbow Dash is strong. She always has been. That means she should have tried to fight a little bit, or there should at least be some of her still in there. She didn't look to be hurting, though. She didn't seem to be fighting, or trying to get out of the murderous shell she is now. Like I am. Yeah, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. When Rainbow pounced on Fluttershy, I lost my mind. I wanted to kill her, and I would have if she hadn't managed to get me off her.

And I'm not biased towards Fluttershy or anything like that. I had a special connection with all my friends, and even New Pinkamena will jump to their defense at a moment's notice. Believe me, if Rainbow had done anything other than kick Applejack I would have attacked her then, too, but that was all she did. She was beating Fluttershy harder than any villain we've ever faced together, and that's what did it for me.

"Oh my gosh. Trixie, speak to me! If you can hear me, blink twice!" Twilight cries. I get to my hooves, joining her and the others in the huddle around the trembling Trixie.

"T-this is a-all my f-f-fault..." The injured unicorn stammers, blood dripping from her mouth. "If I was m-more c-c-careful none of this would've happened... I sh-should've just sent you all away... Now you're in d-d-danger..."

"Don't say that, Trixie. We've been in danger from the moment this whole war started. All they know for sure now is that we're alive, and I don't think they've wanted us dead to begin with. Think about it, Gilda hasn't killed Rainbow Dash. All she's done is..." Twilight trails off uneasily.

"Brainwashed her." I say. "You have to say it. We can't hide from it."

"Not just you all, though... They were listening in on our conversation. They know about Zecora now. She'll be sentenced to death, and it's all my fault." Trixie whimpers.

I balk. I didn't even think of Zecora.

"We have to go back." I say.

"Pinkamena, are you _insane? _If we go back now, we're going to die!" Rarity cries.

"And if we don't, we'll lose Zecora anyway!" I scream.

There she goes again. That Pinkie Pie, clawing her way out. Zecora and I have always been close, even though I was afraid of her. I hung out with her a lot. She made potions to calm me down. Zecora was always kind of like my therapist, I guess. I've had a lot of problems with depression and... This side of me for a really long time. Zecora helped me deal with it. She helped me hide it. I guess even this side of myself doesn't want to let her die.

"It's to late for her now. We'll just have to keep goin'." Applejack insists solemnly.

"None of you are even trying! What if it was one of _us_ stuck back there, about to die? We'd _have _to go back! But I guess Zecora's just not as important to you guys, huh?"

"Why are _you _so attached to Zecora then? If it's important we get her back, we might as well know why you care so much, _Pinkamena._" Rarity snarls.

The way she says my name sends a pang to my heart. I shouldn't care about anypony, should I? It doesn't matter, does it? With our luck at the moment, this war will end with us dead, or worse. Nothing should matter to me anymore. Fluttershy limps toward me, smiling softly.

"Everypony, please! Stop fighting!" She says, extending a wing in front of me. "Pinkamena is right. Zecora is our friend and we must go back to her, reason or not!"

"I appreciate it, Fluttershy, but just forget about it. Applejack is right. It's too late for her now." I mumble.

Fluttershy slowly pulls her wing back in. Everyone stares at me. Eyes, peering deep into me. I cannot escape their gaze, nor can I escape the truth. But I can avoid it for as long as I must. As long as need be. Nopony needs to know, and there is no need to save Zecora. We're all going to die anyway, so we might as well grant her an easy exit to the astral zone. I wish I could go that fast. Or already be gone. But Twilight says we need to try, so we will try.

"Come on," I say. "let's get Trixie fixed up."

I pull Trixie onto my back and carry her slowly forward. Twilight gets on my right side and helps hoist me up. Fluttershy joins on my left side. Applejack joins Fluttershy and Rarity joins Twilight. Cadence takes to the sky.

"I'll lead us to the medics. I know Saddle Arabia." She says.

I follow our sky-guide, glancing at each of my friends on my sides. I find that this is the first time since the war started that we have truly been united.

* * *

_/I am so sorry for the short chapter, I just had to cut it off there or it would be dead air and the next chapter would hold no relevance. You're getting it really soon, though. I'm already working on it. Oh, and I'm sure some of you probably think Cadence is useless, but I promise, she will play an enormous part later on. Trust me./_


	12. Rainbow Dash 2

_/Hey, guys! See, I told you this one would come fast./_

* * *

"Get over here." Lightning Dust orders.

She only orders me around when it's serious, or when I've done something wrong. I get the feeling I've done something wrong this time. It probably had something to do with those traitors I was supposed to kill. But I heard that one's name... Fluttershy. And something inside me just couldn't do it. I mean, I know they're traitors and they can't be trusted. They're trying to destroy us from the inside out. This is the only home I've ever known, but there was something I recognized about them. Like something was screaming inside of me not to hurt them. I don't know what it was, or why, but it hurt. And now I'm going to be punished for it.

"Yes, ma'am." I say, joining Lightning Dust by the door.

"What in Equestria was _that?!_" She demands.

"I don't know..." I admit.

"Well, whatever it was, I'm sure General Gilda is going to have my head for it unless I can fix the problem permanently. Speaking of, where is that unicorn? I called her to meet me down here five minutes ago!"

* * *

*Third Person*

If only they could feel it now. If only they knew it was still here. Nopony dares to think of it anymore. Not as an escape from this dreadful war. Not as anything. As far as they're concerned, since the deaths of the Princesses, it doesn't exist anymore. There is doubt they remember it at all. But one pony does. And this one pony has been using it as an exit and an entrance for two long years. The item, you ask? Well, you'll just have to find out.

* * *

*Rainbow's POV*

Minutes pass. Minutes that feel like hours. But suddenly there's a flash of light, and there she is. To fix me.

"I'm here, ma'am."

I glance at the unicorn mare I've come to know as my sort of... Mental doctor. Any time something hurts, or I do something wrong, there she is to make it better. I don't know how she does it, all I know is that I'm put to sleep and when I wake up I feel completely different. I hardly see her and she doesn't speak to me, but I feel safe with her for whatever reason.

"Good. She's remembering things again." Lightning Dust says.

"I'll get right on it, ma'am." The medic fires up her horn. It's an x-ray spell. She uses it to see the magnitude my problem is each time. "Oh, wow. Lightning Dust, ma'am? I'm going to need to use a really strong spell. There can't be any other energies besides mine and Rainbow Dash's in the room. Would you mind...?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Bring her back once you're done."

Lightning Dust leaves us, trotting down the hall back out to the throne room. The medic stands staring down the hall for a minute before Lightning Dust's shadow disappears.

"Are you going to fix me, or not? Tick tock, tick tock!" I say. Before I can say anything else, the medic tackles me. "HEY!"

"Hush!" She hisses. "Do you _want _to get us both killed?" She clamps my mouth shut with her magic so I can't make a sound.

I watch her peer around each corner before dragging me in a mad dash through the hall.

"Hey! The medic is kidnapping Rainbow Dash!" Lightspeed shouts.

Suddenly, we're being pursued. She nearly flies down the hall. Another unicorn teleports himself in front of us. The medic's eyes narrow and she teleports past him, continuing onwards. I somehow feel as though I've seen this before...

"Do you get motion sickness?" The medic asks. I shake my head as we're surrounded by guards. Gilda glides in overhead.

"Get her!" Gilda shouts.

"Sorry it had to be this way." The medic fires up her horn. "General."

A flash of light consumes my vision, followed quickly by speeding darkness. The darkness fades in favor of the violently spinning backdrop of where ever we've transported to. The medic hits the ground first and I'm flung into a wall.

"What in Equestria was all of _that?_" I demand.

The medic gets on her hooves and shakes herself off. She immediately goes into panic mode, ravaging the room for something. Do I know what it is? Nope. But I know it's important to her. She mutters something under her breath and runs off to another room. I get up and chase after her. I'd better get some answers soon or this unicorn is going to be wishing she hadn't taken me from home at all. There has to be some reason I've been kidnapped. Maybe it has something to do with that Fluttershy pony I got in trouble because of. The medic mutters angrily under her breath until she finds what I presume she was looking for. She pulls a tarp off a mesmerizingly shiny mirror.

"Here it is!" She exclaims.

"Here _what _is? Explain yourself right now or I'll... I'll kill you!" I shout.

"You're not going to kill me, Rainbow Dash. As long as I don't replenish that stupid spell any more, you won't have the heart to kill me. You're too soft."

Too soft? Yeah, right! I lunge at the medic, fury consuming me. How dare she insult my strength! Without flinching, however, she uses her magic to throw me at the wall and conjure a shield around herself. She approaches the mirror and places her hoof on it.

"Not ready yet... How much longer now?" She mumbles to herself. "I have to get you somewhere safe..."

"Somewhere *Cough* safe? What do you mean, somewhere safe?" I demand.

"This is all her fault. If she had ever taken a second to speak to me here, she'd know. But of course she doesn't trust me, so I can't blame this all on her..."

"Blame _what _on _who_? Are you talking about that dirty traitor, Wicked Trickster?"

This medic had better start explaining herself right now... Just because she blocked me last time doesn't mean I can't find another way to kill her.

"That's right... You think she's a traitor still. I guess in your eyes I'm a traitor, as well. Rainbow Dash, I have to apologize to you about this. I'm the one who's made a monster out of you. I've only done it to keep you safe, though, and I hope you'll be able to forgive me once you've learned what this is all about."

"Who _are _you?"

"Oh yes, where are my manners? My name is Sunset Shimmer. Goodnight."

And with that, I feel a hard impact on the side of my head and everything goes black.

Sunset... Shimmer? Even in this dream void it gives me that same painful head-throbbing as Fluttershy. I know this one, but I don't think I know Sunset Shimmer as well as I seem to have known Fluttershy. I feel numb in my own mind, wandering through my subconscious. I know there's something else going on here. I've known since we gained power. I just don't know what. My only sign is this constant pain in my head. This constant ache in my heart. How I always feel sick. But no explanation whatsoever. All I know is that Princess Celestia was an evil tyrant until Gilda's armies rose up and overthrew her. Freedom stands is what they always tell me. What I'm doing is moral and right. We're the good guys in this story, right?

But I can't get what Sunset Shimmer said out of my mind. 'You still think she's a traitor. I guess in your eyes I'm a traitor, as well.'

In my eyes? What does that mean? If I only _think _Wicked Trickster was a traitor, does that mean I must be wrong? And if I'm wrong, does that mean that in reality, what I've been doing all my life isn't morally right? Am _I _the bad guy?

* * *

_/Okay, okay, two short chapters in one day. But that's better than one longish chapter after two months, right? Also, Sunset Shimmer is _not _fanservice. Although I did get a suggestion to put her in this story, I have been planning to add her this whole time. She is here of my own accord, not because of the request I got. Thank you for the request anyway, though, I do try to listen to my reviewers, so if there is anyone you'd like to appear or something you'd like to happen, review and I'll see if it works with what I've got planned./_


	13. Twilight Sparkle 3

_/Oh my freaking GOSH you guys... I am SO sorry this chapter took so long! School started up last week and I got super distracted. I'm gonna try to upload every weekend, though, okay? Does that sound good to you guys? Huge thanks to Random-stranger53, To Define Life, and Guest for the reviews! You guys are so sweet! Sorry again for the wait, I feel awful. But here you go!/_

Cadence swoops down to a blood-smeared tent and pokes her head inside.

"This is where the medics are. They have a lot of patients right now, but I'll see if they can fit Trixie into their schedule." She says with a small smile.

Pinkie lays down in the sand, gently rolling Trixie off her back. Her blood soaks the pristine white sand. She's been drained to a very pale blue and tears stream from her weak eyes.

"Don't bother... I'm t-t-too much of a burden. Just leave me here to die." She stammers.

"We're not going to leave you here to die, Trixie." I insist. "You're too important to us. Without you... We'll never get Rainbow Dash to come back. If you die, you've sentenced all of us to death, too."

"No... You'll survive without me... I know." Trixie pants.

I can see the life draining from her as the blood continues to flow. Her eyes grow darker. Suddenly she seems centuries old.

"Trixie... Please... Stay with us." I beg. Hot tears fill my eyes and spill onto my cheeks. "We need you... _I _need you..."

"Twilight," Fluttershy whispers, coming up beside me. "It's her time."

Trixie's breaths come out slowly and shakily. Her hide is stained with dark crimson blood that spills from her lips, as well. Her body shakes weakly. No matter how much I want to deny it, Fluttershy's right. She's dying. But that doesn't mean we can't still try to save her. She knows what goes on in Canterlot. She knows how to get through the doors. She can help us save Rainbow Dash. And once we've saved Rainbow Dash, we can save Equestria. I need to keep her alive so she can see the end of the war. I don't want her to die with only memories of death and misery and blood-soaked streets. I don't want her to die having her last memories of what should have been her saviors giving up on her. I want her to see the rainbow before she dies. I have to save her.

"Girls... Step back." I order quietly.

"Twilight, please," Fluttershy begs. She can't stand seeing anyone suffer.

"I said step _back._" I shout.

The girls all oblige. Cadence still hasn't returned. Shouting comes from behind the tent. It's obvious the medics have more pressing issues to deal with. Patients in more pain than Trixie. With that, I've made my decision. I'm going to save Trixie myself. I dig my hooves deep into the sand and clench my teeth, firing up my horn with the best healing spell I know. I focus on Trixie's stab wound. My forehead burns. This is the hardest spell I know.

"Twilight, don't! You're not a registered medic!" Fluttershy screams.

I ignore her, unable to answer without breaking my concentration and ruining everything. The stab wound illuminates in sorcery. I grunt, pushing the magic to work as hard as I possibly can. An agonized scream escapes from Trixie. I can hear her throat scratching with the volume of the scream.

"You're hurting her!"

"I'm _saving _her!"

"_Twilight!_" Pinkie shouts. "Don't make the same mistake you did with Rainbow's mother! Stop!"

I freeze mid-spell and drop to the ground.

"_Girls! It's done! It's finally done! I can do it!" I shouted in triumph, screwing a cap over the bottle of potion._

_We ran to the hospital, where Rainbow Dash's mother, Ruby Fractal, was resting. She was in shock-coma from a recent accident, and the doctors feared she would never wake up. All the girls knew that Rainbow would lose it without her mother, and I had promised to save her. In fact, Rainbow Dash was there now. Standing beside the bed with her unresponsive mother. _

"_Girls?" Rainbow asked. I levitated the potion towards the unconscious mare. "Are you sure this will work?" _

"_Extremely so." I assured her. _

"_Somepony get the nurse in here, I'm sure she'll want to see this medical breakthrough!" Spike exclaimed. I blushed. _

_Pinkie bounced out of the room and returned moments later with Nurse Redheart. _

"_What's going on here?" She asked._

"_Magic!" Spike said. "Might want to take notes, Nurse Redheart!"_

"_Spike. Hush." _

_I gently unscrewed the potion bottle and tilted Ruby's chin up. I poured small drops of the potion down the unconscious mare's throat, giving her exactly a quarter of the bottle before stopping. Everything seemed to be going fine. Ruby's eyes opened slowly. Nurse Redheart stood in shock whilst Rainbow was ecstatic._

"_Mom!" She exclaimed happily. _

_But she rejoiced too early. Suddenly, Ruby's body began to shake violently. She thrashed. A lime green aura glowed around her body. Her eyes lit to an empty white color. _

"_EVERYPONY GET DOWN!" I screamed._

_We all threw ourselves to the ground as Ruby breathed her last heavy breath. That would have been it, had an eerie green fog not slowly emptied itself from her limp body and gathered at the ceiling. Ruby Fractal was dead. Rainbow stood up and took in her mother's form._

"_MOM!" She screamed, shaking the mare. Nothing happened. "NO!" _

_Nurse Redheart ran out the door for the doctor, who quickly concluded it had been a single mistaken ingredient that turned the potion into a poison. I was quickly escorted from the hospital as Rainbow screamed over her mother's body._

"_Don't try to make medicine ever again." Nurse Redheart ordered._

"_...Yes... Ma'am." _

It had been a mistake that killed Rainbow Dash's mother. She could have gone peacefully, painlessly, if I had just left well-enough alone. But I didn't. Do I want Trixie to die peacefully, or do I want to increase her pain? I realize I'm still holding the spell where it was. Trixie continues to scream.

"Trixie..." I mutter.

"It's her time, Twilight!" Fluttershy cries.

"I'm... I'm ready to die!" Trixie howls.

"Then I will let you." I release her carefully from the spell and she falls limp on the sand. Her stomach still rises and falls, however, so she isn't dead yet. I walk slowly towards her. "I'm so sorry..."

"N-no... Don't be. I've been ready to d-die this whole time. Just stay with me. Please." She stammers.

"Of course."

I sit beside Trixie and steer her mind away from her death. I don't want her to think of it. I want her to die thinking of beautiful things. Not the world she died in.

"Twilight. I need you to p-promise me something." She interrupts me suddenly.

"What do you need?"

"Find Sunset Shimmer. She can s-save Rainbow Dash. She's undercover, j-just like me." Find her... Find Rainbow Dash..."

Sunset Shimmer? She came back from the mirror world? How did she know about the war? I have so many questions, but obviously there will be no time for that now.

"We'll find her, Trixie. I promise." I assure her. "Now where was I... Ah, yes. The stars in a clear night sky. Do you ever spend nights stargazing, Trixie? I've always thought of the stars as perfect little fireflies, sustained in a beautiful deep fuschia painting. The clear nights are always the best, because there are no distractions from the stars. You don't have to focus on anything but the teensy balls of light thousands of miles away from us."

I feel the last, soft breath escape from Trixie's weak lungs as I describe the night sky. The light leaves her eyes and her body goes limp, but a comforted smile strays on her lips.

She's gone.

_/Oh dear, I've killed off Trixie. I surely hope no crazy fans will come flame me for killing her off. Haha sarcasm. I'm sure you guys won't. You're all cool. Woah, okay, did they change something on here? Where'd the little time-passy line thingy I've been using go? Is it just not a thing anymore? If anybody knows can you do me a favor and let me know? Thanks! Sorry if the time periods were confusing, I just can't find those little lines.../_


End file.
